Monthly Cooking Thread - June 2019

[Jamestown1630]

Freeper Lizma2 requested an appetizer thread last month; and since appetizers are one of my two favorite things to cook, I’m happy to oblige. I’ll repost some of my favorites and a new one I’ve found, and hopefully others will have contributions.

This pastry 'Sunflower' - or 'Tarte Soleil' - is visually beautiful, but not that difficult to make. You can do it with a wide variety of fillings, and sweet or savory.

Here’s a recipe from ‘Italian Food Forever’

http://www.italianfoodforever.com/2016/07/sunflower-spinach-puff-pastry-tart

and from ‘Entertaining with Beth’, a video showing the technique:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIF-6CFsYxk

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A couple of decades ago, when chef Jean Georges introduced his Seared Scallops with Cauliflower and Caper-Raisin Sauce, it became a great hit here in DC, and I guess everywhere he had restaurants; and I think it's still a favorite. It’s a little fussy to make, but a wonderful combination of flavors:

https://www.foodwine.com/food/special/jeangeorges/raisin.html

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One of my standbys – great with drinks – are these Cheese and Olive Puff Balls. I’ve made these without olives for those who don’t like them, and they’re still a hit. As with anything, the better the cheese you use, the better the dish; but this is usually a hit even with standard supermarket cheddar. (I think this recipe may go back to the 1950s):

Olive Cheese Puffs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Ingredients:

2 Cups grated, sharp Cheddar Cheese

¼ lb. Butter (one stick from a pound)

1 cup of Flour, salted to taste (I usually don't use salt; the olives and cheese are enough)

pinch of Cayenne

Jar of Pimento-Stuffed Olives

1.Blend together in a food processor the grated cheese, butter, and flour.

2.Process until dough comes together in a ball.

3.Chill, covered, for about 20 minutes before forming puffs. (You don't want it to get too hard. When I've tried making the dough the day before and doing the balls the next day, it's been very subpar. You want to make the balls the same day that you make the dough, and chill just a bit, to get it firm enough to handle well.)

4.Pinch off a ball of dough, about an inch in diameter, and pat it into a thin disc in your palm; then place an olive in the middle. Pinch up the dough to cover the olive, and roll between your palms until smooth. (Or, dough can be rolled out to ¼ inch thickness, cut into 2 inch squares, and each square wrapped around an olive - but that's too much trouble for me, and usually results in too much dough.)

5.Place puffs on a cookie sheet and bake 15 minutes. ( I usually use parchment paper on the sheet.) Then remove to a wire rack to cool.

(To freeze unbaked, freeze on cookie sheet and remove to freezer containers when hard. When ready to bake, allow 3-5 minutes extra baking time.)

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This recipe for something called 'Mushroom Julienne' could be an actual dinner course, or an appetizer, depending on how you present it. I love watching this elegant, joyful Armenian lady on the YouTube 'Heghineh Cooking Show’:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ4CTmb5gGo

-JT

[Liz]

That means you like it..........right?

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I do! That last herb butter recipe was great, too!